Parents prepare for strike that will close some schools in Waterloo region Wednesday

Schools in Waterloo region will be closed Wednesday if a planned one-day strike by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation goes ahead.

School boards that will be closed locally are: Waterloo Region District School Board and the two French language boards with schools in the region Conseil Scolaire Viamonde and Conseil Scolaire Catholique MonAvenir.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board, Upper Grand District School Board and Wellington Catholic District School Board are not impacted by this week's planned strike and schools will be open.

The Waterloo Region District School Board says OSSTF represents high school teachers as well as other education workers including secretaries, custodial and maintenance staff.

"These education workers are critical to the safety and well-being of our students and the daily operations of all of our schools. As such, we have determined that we cannot ensure the safety of our students at schools during this particular one-day strike action," the board says in a notice on its website.

Finding care

A strike also means parents and caregivers will have to find alternative care if they are unable to stay home.

Like the previous strike, several day camps are being offered as an option.

Kitchener will hold a camp at Lions Arena at a cost of $25 per child.

Cambridge will run two camps, one at W.G. Johnson Centre and the John Dolson Centre. The cost is $40 and includes before and after care.

Waterloo will hold a camp at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex at a cost of $44.76 per child.

For all three cities, residents need to register online and a full refund will be provided if the strike is cancelled.

Other locations doing camps include, Schneider Haus in Kitchener, TheMuseum in downtown Kitchener, Bingemans in Kitchener and the YMCA in Waterloo and Cambridge. Registration must be done through their websites.